Losing and Gaining
by hallow777
Summary: Alexis is heading off to college, but Castle isn't taking it to well. So it's up to Beckett to find a way to cheer him up. Fanfiction Christmas Present for Algimi


**Yes, another one done! Yes, Yes, I know I should be working on the next chapter of "Cold Chills" but I got inspiration for this instead.**

**This one is for Algimi who is both here on FF and on Twitter, I believe. **

**I do NOT own Castle.**

* * *

Castle had been sulking for the last two weeks, and Beckett knew exactly why.

Alexis was heading off to college in just a few short weeks. It was hard for her to believe that Castle had been following her around, off and on, for nearly four years.

There were multiple times during these four years that she thought that they were through, but their partnership had survived, barely.

They were still recovering from the Memorial Day/Demming fiasco when their emotions got the best of them while attempting to follow a lead for her mothers killer, and it nearly destroyed them. It was just a kiss, but to them it was so much more and neither of them had been ready for it. Not to mention they were still seeing other people, at the time.

But that was nearly two years ago, and they were just now back to how they were before.

"Castle, both you and she will be fine. At least she gave up on going to Oxford, right?"

Alexis had thought about Oxford for a long time, but when she got an acceptance letter from Harvard, she decided she would rather go there.

"It doesn't matter, my baby is going off to college! Do you _know_ what goes on in those places?" His hands were flying all over the place as he talked, as if that would help emphasize his point.

"Yes, I do. But this is Alexis we are talking about here, she has a good head on her shoulders and won't make some of the wrong choices that you and I made when we were her age. She'll be fine." She told him again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. But no matter what she said, he still spent his days sulking.

"The dude needs something to keep him busy, like a hobby or something." Esposito commented while the team was having lunch, without Castle, one day.

"Or a girlfriend." Ryan piped up, oblivious to how Beckett twitched at the thought.

"Like you? So he can come in with baby puke on his tie?" Esposito pointed at a stain on Ryan's tie and both he and Beckett laughed as Ryan started wiping at it furiously with his napkin.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He complained while working on the stain. Jenny had given birth to their son just six months ago, and Esposito loved to tease him every chance he got.

While the boys were busy arguing, Beckett kept to herself while she ate, thoughts racing through her head.

* * *

Beckett spent days trying to make up her mind, but in the end, her heart and mind finally came to the same decision.

She just wasn't sure how to clue a certain writer in on this decision though. Lucky for her, a perfect chance game up a day later when Castle came in, even more depressed than before.

All throughout the day, they all tried to cheer him up but nothing was working. Since he was being unusually quiet, and they had no new cases, she worked hard on her paperwork, and by dinner time, she was caught up.

Beckett headed into the Captain's office to let him know she was leaving a little early, then came back to find that Castle was still sitting by her desk, not even noticing that she was gone.

"It's dinner time, shouldn't you be having dinner with Alexis?"

"No, she's staying the night with Paige, so they can catch up before Alexis leaves..." He said with a sigh and she pulled on her coat before handing him his.

"Then we are going to Remmy's."

He was confused, but followed her out of the precinct and down the block where they entered the restaurant and took their normal booth.

They had been here so many times over the last few years that the staff knew them, and what they wanted, so they had just gotten settled when one of the waitresses brought them each a glass of water to drink while they waited on their food.

"Is it really that bad that she's going off to college?" Beckett asked while they waited for their food to arrive.

"It seems like just yesterday that she was a tiny little baby that I was taking home from the hospital. Now its eighteen years later and she's leaving...It's a lonely feeling."

That's what she had thought, but it was still heartbreaking to hear him actually come out and say it.

Before she could reply, the waitress came back with their food and placed a burger in front of each of them, then a plate of fries and one of their extremely large shakes in between them.

They each dug into their food, and it only took a few minutes for her to realize that Castle really was taking this hard.

"You've got to stop taking this so hard, she'll be back on holidays and knowing her, probably the weekends too."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You aren't doing that thing with your fries, so it's obviously bothering you."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "I thought you hated that."

"I do, but it's odd for you not to do it, since you love to annoy me so much."

It was true, every single time they came here, he'd dip some of the fries into their chocolate shake and it drove her nuts because it made the shake taste salty. She'd nearly forgotten what a non-salty shake tasted like, which is what made her realize he wasn't doing it.

Even though she pointed it out to him, he just went back to eating so she took matters into her own hands.

Beckett picked up a fry and carefully scooped up the same amount that he normally did and brought it to her mouth. Only, she couldn't quite make herself try it so she held it out to him instead., but he wouldn't take it, insisting that she try it.

"It's weird, and its gotta taste disgusting."

"But you were going to try it."

"And I changed my mind."

"Chicken."

The shake was starting to melt on the hot fry so he ate that one, but continued to goad her into trying one.

College and Alexis was forgotten for a short while as he continued to try and get her to try one, making a huge show of how delicious it was.

Finally, after five straight minutes of constant trying on his part, she finally cracked and gave in.

Castle was just about to take a bite out of the shake covered fry in his hand when her hand quickly snaked out and caught him by the wrist, pulling the fry closer to herself before she used her teeth to take it from his fingers.

She grimaced as it touched her tongue, waiting for the disgusting taste register in her brain, but it never happened. She blinked and looked up at him, finding that it wasn't actually that bad, in fact it was actually really good.

"See? It's really good isn't it?"

"Hmm, maybe your taste in food isn't as strange as I thought. But I am never trying a smorelette."

He started talking about a small place he knew about that specializes in strange food and casually mentioned that he should take her there sometime, fully expecting her to change the subject or flat out decline.

"I think I'd like that."

That was the complete opposite of what he thought her reaction would be, so he was understandably surprised.

"I'm sure there are lots of other great places around here that I've never heard of too."

_Wait, was that an invitation to..._ His mind was reeling and finally he managed to get some words out of his mouth. "You would be right, detective. I'd be happy to take you out and show you all of the best ones."

The minute the words 'take you out' left his mouth, he knew he had most likely screwed up big time. But instead of getting up and leaving, like he expected her to do, she just smirked.

"It's a date then."

_If I am dreaming, please never let me wake up._

_

* * *

_

A week later, Beckett was surprised when the younger Castle showed up at the precinct.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Of course."

Alexis sat down in her father's chair, that was vacant because Castle was on a coffee run, and started talking.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time, I know you are busy, but I just wanted to say thank you."

"Um okay, but what for?"

"For whatever you did to keep my dad from being so sad about me leaving for college. He's really been taking it hard, but now he's happy again. Well, he's still not happy with me leaving but he seems okay with it now. For the last week, everything has been 'Beckett this' or 'Beckett that' so I know you had something to do with it, so thank you."

Beckett couldn't help but blush a little at that, busying herself with some paperwork so Alexis wouldn't notice.

"You're welcome. He was getting so depressed I had to do something."

Alexis stood up and headed towards the elevator, but turned around before she even made it a few feet away.

"Detective Beckett?"

"Hm?"

"Take care of my dad for me while I'm gone, okay?"

"I will."

Right as Alexis got on the elevator, Beckett got a text from Castle saying that he remembered a place that he was just sure she was going to love and asking if they could stop by after work.

It had taken them a long time, with many set backs, but they were finally moving this partnership they had to the next level. And neither of them could be happier.

* * *

**I got myself so confused while trying to figure out how many years Castle had been following Beckett by the time Alexis left for college. We know Alexis was 15 when they first met, and if we assume they first met in say January or somewhere around there, Alexis would have been almost finished with 9th grade. Then if we say that Castle stayed away for most of the summer after snooping around in Beckett's mom's case and came back around fall. That would put Alexis in 10th grade for season two and 11th for season 3. So if we assume thats all right, and this story right here takes place right before the fall semester, that would put Castle and Beckett knowing each other for almost four years. Unless I totally got myself screwed up somewhere, which is highly possible, but that is what I am sticking to.**

**This story is complete. But! I have one more request involving Alexis so I think I might write it where it could be tied into this one, though that one will take place a few years in the future. **


End file.
